I am so very sorry for not updating for such a long time but I was super busy travelling. Thank you for all the comments. I promise to keep the updates coming more often now. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter.
– 9 –
It took Piper almost an hour to get to the bar that Alex and her crew were having fun at and by the time the blonde arrived there, the dark-haired woman had had a few more tequila shots and was apparently enjoying her colleagues' company. When Piper's eyes first landed on her, Alex was laughing at something with a chubby middle-aged guy who also seemed to be totally relaxed and slightly intoxicated. There were more people by their table, some of them still had their police badges hanging on their jackets, and Piper felt a little unsure if she should enter that little crowd. Maybe Alex had just wanted to be nice and that's why she had invited Piper over… Right as the blonde was about to turn on her heels and leave, with a plan to text Alex later on with some sort of an excuse, Alex noticed her standing by the door and a huge bright smile enlightened the brunette's features. She got up and walked up to the younger woman. She hugged her tight and Piper could smell the familiar scent of marzipan, which made her melt inside a little. She was getting more and more infatuated with the detective and it kinda scared the shit out of her. The beautiful tall woman was all that the blonde was able to think about recently, in fact.
"It's good to see you, Pipes." Alex kissed her lightly right under her ear and it made Piper shiver a bit.
"I did promise to be here so…" She smiled up at her. "But it seems that you already have a nice group over there. Are you sure you don't want to spend some time just with them?" Piper's eyes shone with uncertainty. Alex had noticed a while ago that even though Piper pulled off an image of a confident young woman, there were moments when the blonde was simply unsure of herself, her confidence melting away at a rapid speed, and it confused Alex a little bit. How could such a smart and beautiful girl feel so fragile all of a sudden?
"No, babe. I need to let loose a bit. I want to have fun with my friends, you included. It's that simple." Alex grinned and grabbed Piper's hand, leading her to the table full of people. The blonde didn't even register they were heading that way because she was too busy overanalyzing Alex's words. They were just friends after all? Well… Probably that's how the detective perceived the whole situation and it made Piper's heart drop. She had to break from her stream of thoughts when she heard Alex introducing her to the whole crowd and several people waved at her, all full of slightly drunken grins.
"Hey, I remember you!" A guy whom everyone called Bennet said. "I took you in a few weeks ago." He laughed. "So, Alex, you're still mingling with the felons?"
Piper's jaw dropped almost to the floor. She didn't know how to react to that but also she was surprised that she wasn't the only 'almost arrested' girl that Alex was spending time with and it made Piper's heart sink some more (if that was even possible at that point). Yet, she managed to keep a straight face and smiled at Bennet.
"I'm no felon. One time little slip of good reasoning." She winked at him and the young cop laughed.
"Sure, sure…" He winked back. He was actually a nice guy and Piper got to like him as the time passed by. Just as she was slowly relaxing into the small group, Alex's arm continually draped over her shoulders in a protective manner, they all heard another laugh coming from behind them.
"Hey, drunk-heads! Look what I've brought you!" A strong Australian accent spoke in a joking voice. Alex spun around and got up to hug a short petite woman with short dark hair and arms full of tattoos. The Aussie just managed to put a tray full of tequila shots on the table before she was engulfed in Alex's bear hug.
"I thought you weren't coming back, you asshole!" The tall brunette laughed at her friend.
"Well, what can I say… I missed the only bigger asshole than myself, Alex, so I came back to you guys here." She grinned. Stella had been out for a minute with some girl that she was hoping to hook up with but apparently nothing good came out of it.
Suddenly, Alex realized that she hadn't introduced Piper to Stella yet so she turned back around to the blonde and made her get up from her seat as well.
"Stella, this is Piper and Pipes, this is Stella, my partner."
Piper's eyes went wide and she thanked all the gods out there that she hadn't actually kissed Alex in front of everyone because she would have been so fucked right now. She felt miserable, heart-broken and pissed at herself at the same time. Now it was clear to her why Alex had introduced her just as a friend to everyone. She was just a friend after all, a friend with benefits but that's it.
Despite her shaken state, Piper didn't lose a beat and shook Stella's soft hand.
"Nice to meet you, Stella." She tried to stand away from Alex and even to herself her own words sounded super official. She wanted to kick herself for that. The blonde really didn't want to sound like some fucking robot but she couldn't help herself. And it seemed that Alex also noticed the slight change since her sexy eye brow shot up a bit at Piper. Yet, the brunette decided to let it go for the time being.
On the other hand, Stella was internally having fun. She immediately realized what the confusion was and the fact that Alex seemed totally oblivious to the issue made her grin like some madman. She had suspected what Pieper might be thinking about her and Alex and the blonde's reaction from just a second ago only made her 100% sure. The fact that Alex introduced her the way she did forced Stella to bite her tongue really hard not to laugh out loud and she high-fived herself in her mind. Poor Alex – she had no idea. Even though the detective was normally a very perceptive person, she appeared to be completely clueless at reading some people's feelings. Maybe it was due to the fact that she had never really been in a real relationship and she had never truly needed to read her lover's mind. She didn't care about that and even though she did care this time, Alex was simply blind at times.
Of course, Stella couldn't miss such a great occasion to pull Alex's leg a bit but she also wanted to make Alex see that talking about herself to Piper would be nice... Lack of communication can cause harm and she knew that the older woman could be a bit awkward when it came to people that she actually cared about.
"You too, Chapman. It's good to finally meet you. Alex has talked a lot about you." Stella grinned.
"She did?" Piper was surprised.
"I did?" Alex seemed even more so but that little fact didn't stop Stella from continuing.
"Sure. I bet she also told you a lot about me."
Piper laughed nervously. "Well, actually she didn't say much."
Stella turned to Alex with a little punch to her arm. "How come you never told her about me, you asshole?" She turned back to the blonde. "I'm sorry Piper, she must have a dementia already." The shorter woman smiled mischievously. "Where Alex goes, I go. She gets my back, I get hers." Stella threw her arm around Alex and the taller brunette only laughed thinking that her partner was more drunk than she had expected.
Still completely oblivious to Piper's state of mind and Stella's evil plan, Alex also threw her arm around the shorter girl and nodded at what Stella had said smiling like a fool. By that time Piper's discomfort was starting to show and even the detective seemed to be worried a bit. She thought that maybe her lover felt a little bit overwhelmed by all of Alex's colleagues so she grabbed her hand and asked her to dance in hopes of giving Piper some space. Maybe the blonde would be able to relax a little if she escaped their little crowd for a moment.
Yet, Piper herself only appeared to be even more confused than before until her eyes went wide in some realization.
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm not into that..." She said shakily and this time it was Alex's turn to get completely lost at the situation.
"Umm... OK, we don't have to dance if you don't want to... Let's just grab another drink, then."
"No, Alex, you don't understand. I'm not into THAT." The blonde stressed while pointing at the three of them which only left Alex further bewildered. And at exactly that point Stella couldn't take it anymore and she burst out laughing so hard that she had to wipe some tears from her eyes.
"What?" Both Alex and Piper asked in surprise at their companion's behavior.
"You two are unbelievable!" Stella continued to chuckle.
"Because?" Alex started to get a little pissed and it was clear in her tone so Stella did all in her might to stop the laughter bubbling out of her lips. She knew that when Alex got really mad, she could punch pretty well.
"Because: a) you obviously should be more open with Piper and b) Piper here obviously thinks that I'm your partner and now she also probably believes that you're more adventurous than she suspected."
"But you are my partner." Alex talked still confused and Stella just wiggled her eyebrows at her. Only then did Alex finally get the message and she immediately turn back to Piper. "Partner as in policing together, cop partner, work colleague, Pipes... Oh my God... Did you just think I was into open relationships or threesomes?!" She couldn't help burst out laughing.
Piper was just standing there, mouth agape and her cheeks slightly turning a nice shade of red.
"No... I was just... Sweet Jesus..." She was stumbling for words and felt like a total idiot while Alex and Stella were both trying to stop chucking.
"Hey there, chill out." Stella finally smiled at her, her eyes still full of merit. "It's not your fault. I bet our dear friend Alex didn't tell you about me at all, 'cause she's an asshole. And, I must admit, I didn't help either. I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself." She was obviously trying not to laugh once again and it made Piper relax a bit. She did start to see the hilarity of the situation and started giggling lightly at herself as well.
"You are an asshole, too, you know." She smiled at Stella. "You should've corrected me when you noticed I got confused here."
"Yeah, you're a fucking asshole!" Alex punched Stella's arm a little stronger than a joking poke would be.
"And your best buddy, so you must forgive me." Stella said while stroking her sore muscle. She was pretty sure there's gonna be a slight bruise the next morning.
Alex grabbed Piper's hand and started leading her to the dance floor slowly. "Come, let's dance and leave this little jerk here. We'll catch up with her later."
"Sure, leave ma all alone and lonely. One of you should at least give me a hug. We're in it together, right?!" Stella shouted over the music but all it earned her was Alex's middle finger and Piper's 'asshole' shouted at her with a laugh.
"Feisty! I like her, Alex!" She shouted back but the girls were already too far to hear her.
– – –
There was some nice mellow song playing at the dance floor. Alex held Piper close while they continued to sway to the music slowly. She buried her face into the blonde locks and smiled at the familiar scent of Piper's shampoo. When she reminded herself the conversation she had just had, she couldn't help another chuckle leaving her throat and this in turn made Piper look at her with square eyes.
"Oh please, will you stop already?" She whispered still slightly embarrassed.
"I'm sorry. I'm trying." Alex grinned at her. "But you know... Stella was right about one thing there. I should have told you about her."
"Yes, you should have." Piper agreed. Her head was nestled back into the crook of Alex's neck. She smiled brightly at the thought that now she was sure that the detective was single. This funny situation did clear a lot of her doubts and she could finally fully enjoy Alex's closeness without second guessing. Piper tightened her hold on Alex and her smile only grew, threatening to split her face in halves.
"What are you smiling about?" Alex surprised her with a question and for a second she didn't know how to respond but after a while she decided on honesty.
"About you being single."
"I've never said I was single." Alex's serious tone made Piper look up at her one more time.
"Oh." Piper's smile dropped but Alex couldn't hold her poker face for long and soon started giggling. "I don't consider myself single anymore." She said still smiling, yet it was obvious that she meant what she had said. Actually, Alex couldn't believe she had said that out loud but truth to be told, she really couldn't imagine herself with anyone else except Piper. Every time she was with the blonde, she felt as if she was on a cloud number nine, every time she could smell her perfume, even in some public place where Piper was not with her, Alex felt her heart flutter violently. Despite her constant tiredness, Piper was the very first thing on her mind after finishing her shift. Alex had never felt this way about anyone and even she herself realized a while ago that not giving this relationship a chance would be a profound mistake. She had enough of her own mistakes and maybe it was the buzz she had in her system or maybe it was Piper's baby-blue eyes that melted her heart each time the blonde would look at her this way but Alex really meant what she had said, indeed.
"Do you want me to scribble a question on a slip of paper and make you circle yes or no?" Alex asked when she had no response from Piper and the blonde's face was suddenly enlightened by a 100 voltage smile which made Alex stomach somersault. The joyful feeling only deepened when Piper kissed her soundly on the lips.
"Is that a yes?"
"Yes, you idiot." Piper grinned.
"Well, I'm your idiot now, I guess, so you have to deal with me."
"With pleasure." Piper whispered right before kissing Alex's lips again.
– – –
An hour later both women were seated back at their table and were enjoying their time with Alex's friends but Piper kept checking her phone more and more often. She seemed to be texting someone constantly.
"What's up, kid? Got yourself another stalker?" Alex joked.
"Ha ha... No, it's just Nicky. She's trying to drag me away from you and go to a party with her and Lorna. She claims she's been feeling abandoned by me recently." Piper laughed under her breath.
"Why don't you tell them to join us? That way you guys get to spend some time together and I can make sure none of you end up in jail again after partying." Alex laughed and it earned her a light punch from Piper.
"Who's joining us?" Stella popped out again out of nowhere and managed startle Piper.
"Jesus, you really need to stop doing that." She laughed. All through the evening Stella kept playing pranks on everyone. She seemed to be in a really good mood and as the time had passed by, Piper found herself enjoying the woman's company more and more. She and Alex truly had a special bond and it was clear to see even for a blind man, plus Stella really made an effort to get to know Piper a little better. She was a keen listener and an intelligent woman whose sense of humor could turn even the most depressing person into a fit of laughter. Yes, Piper was pretty sure that she and Stella were going to be OK, despite their not so good beginning.
"Alex wants me to invite two of my friends here."
"Splendid! Who?"
"Nicky Nichols and Lorna Morello, I don't think you know them..." Piper said while texting.
"And here is where you're wrong. I do know one of them." Stella grinned. "I've read Nicky's records. She must be fun."
Piper rolled her eyes. "Does everyone here know her? Damn..."
"Nah, not really. Just me, Alex, Bennet and probably Big Boo." Stella giggled.
"Somebody needed me here?" Bennet came back to their table with yet another tray of shots.
"I was just saying that you know Nichols."
"Yeah, I've met her. Funny one. Why?"
"She's gonna be here soon."
"Oh, cool. Another felon at our cop table. High five, Alex!" But Alex ignored the obviously drunk friend. She only laughed at his stupid joke. Everybody at the station knew that Alex had a tendency to have a soft heart for broken teenagers and that's why she often helped them out instead of locking them up.
"What does Bennet mean? He keeps saying that you keep in touch with some criminals..." Piper asked Alex quietly. She needed to know what it was all about.
Alex didn't like to talk about it but after the Stella situation she decided that she should let Piper know about her little extra activities that might take her time in the future. Maybe it was for the better to clear the air immediately, before Piper came up with her own interpretations, and God have mercy, this girl had a vivid imagination, obviously…
"Well, long story short... Sometimes I help teenagers from difficult environments deal with their problems. Most of them don't need a prosecutor, they just need a little push into the right direction. For some of them it is just a friend who would listen, for others I find rehab or a safe roof over their heads at some foundations... Depends." Alex whispered back while sipping on her fresh cold beer. "And Bennet here is just drunk. Don't mind him." She smiled.
Piper's heart swelled at what she had just heard. She had known already that even though Alex tried to keep an image of a hard core cop, deep down inside she was a softie. What she had heard just a second ago made her admire Alex even more and she realized that she knew close to nothing about her. It only made her want to learn about the detective as much as Alex was willing to let her. She was not only well-read, intelligent and confident (features which made Piper's knees weak) but she also had a good heart and empathy for others. Was there anything that Piper wouldn't just adore about the brunette?
Piper hugged Alex. "That's so kind of you. I'm sure these people are thankful for your help."
"Well, some of them don't realize they actually need help, so I doubt that they're thankful, but at least some of them manage to start their lives over and it makes me happy so…"
"Still, not many people, especially police officers, care about some young junk-heads." Piper smiled while squeezing Alex's hand lightly. "You make a difference for them."
"Don't make me look like some super hero, Pipes." Alex kissed the blonde's temple.
"Thank you for telling me."
Alex brushed the pad of her thumb over Piper's jaw and lightly kissed her on the corner of her mouth, eliciting a beam from the blonde. This kind of smile always made Alex question herself a bit. The feelings that were growing inside of her scared the brunette but at the same time she wanted more. More of those heart-melting smiles, more of those sparkling deep-sea blue eyes, more of Piper's light kisses and more of her delightful touches. Every day, every hour and every minute she craved this young woman more. And for the first time in her life she was truly ready to take the plunge. It had never been easy for Alex to open up but she decided right now and right here that she would tell her girlfriend whatever she would ask about. She would give her whatever she needed.
The term 'girlfriend' made Alex smile like a wicked-man.
"OK… Now you scare me." Piper laughed. "You look like Jack Nicholson in The Shining…"
This silly comment only made Alex's grin grow and Piper laughed some more before kissing Alex on those smiling lips.
"I think I'm crazy." Alex couldn't stop her lips from stretching. She couldn't remember the last time she was so happy and felt so carefree.
"Oh yeah? You better stop grinning like that or it's gonna be you this time who's gonna end up in some restraints but I'm afraid it's not gonna be a jail cell but rather some mental institution." Piper teased.
"I'm crazy about you." Alex simply said still merit playing on her features and this caught Piper off guard. No one had ever told her anything like this. No one had ever professed their feelings for her, not even her own parents, and Piper had to fight hard not to close up on the brunette. She knew it was silly, but something like this made her happy and a bit uncomfortable a bit at the same time. She wasn't sure she believed Alex.
And the brunette seemed to read Piper well this time and felt slightly silly herself. She didn't know what made her say those words but she wasn't sorry for them. They were true and even if the blonde didn't believe her now, Alex decided that she was determined to change that.
"Can we make one rule just between me and you, Pipes?" She asked quietly.
"Depends. What rule?" Piper smiled.
"That honesty would be our best policy." And yet again Piper was caught off guard. Honesty was not welcomed in her family. Her people were full of appearances and fake smiles. Honesty scared Piper.
"OK." Was the only little phrase that she managed before Alex kissed her lips tenderly. "OK." She repeated, this time with more confidence. She was willing to do anything in her might to make this work. Alex was worth it.
Before Piper could say anything more, they saw Nicky approaching them. She was alone and Lorna was nowhere to be seen.
"Where did your girl, Nichols?" Piper laughed while hugging her friend.
"She's not my girl, you asshole. I've told you before. And Lorna decided that she's actually tired and wanted to stay home so I'm all yours." Nicky grinned. "Where's the booze?" She looked around and made Alex laugh.
"It's right here. Just don't overdo it. We're planning on playing pool later and I bet you'll need all your senses in check 'cause me and Piper are going to kick your ass." The detective poked her finger and Nicky's chest. "Oh, and since Lorna is not here, you'll need a new partner."
"Somebody's looking for a partner? I'm good at partnering, right Chapman?" Stella shouted at them from behind their table.
"What is she talking about?" Nicky chuckled at Piepr.
"Nevermind." Piper said glaring at Alex to stop her from telling Nicky about her little fuck-up. "I'm gonna be with Alex and you'll play with Stella over there." She pointed at the short brunette who was slowly struggling to get to them from the table.
"She's drunk." Nicky blatantly stated.
"So are you, even though you just got here. How did that happen, hmm?" Alex laughed.
"Do I need a lawyer?" Nicky barked back making Alex snigger some more.
"Nah… Not tonight, at least." She winked. "OK, c'mon lazy asses. Let's play some pool." Alex called at the girls.
– – –
It was slowly getting late and after two games both Piper and Alex got tired of the competition and were now standing by and just observing Nicky and Stella. Both women were zealous and wanted to win the final clash. They were all laughing at their banter. It was pretty clear that all of them turned out to be really enjoying the evening.
Piper was standing with her back leaning into Alex who had her arms around the blonde's waist. From time to time she would let her thumbs caress Piper's hip bones hidden by her shirt. Her lips would steal soft kisses here and there once in a while, most of them landing somewhere on Piper's neck. All this affectionate behavior was slowly making the younger woman more and more excited, yet she was trying to hide her longing to finally get Alex all alone. She didn't want to leave her friends alone at the bar since most of their colleagues had already left. There were only the four of them and Healy, who also seemed to be engulfed in the game, advising both Stella and Nicky, depending whose turn it was o hit the ball (pissing of both of the girls on the way, since he was more than tipsy).
After another excruciating hour of Alex's "innocent" administrations, Piper was hardly able to keep her hands from the brunette and was quietly praying that the would finally get going. She was lazily observing yet another game between Stella and Nicky. Both women were on the verge of killing Healy who was obviously annoying the shit of them. The poor guy had really had enough.
Right as Piper was giggling at yet another quarrel between the three, she felt Alex's hot breath right next to her ear.
"I'm skipping the apocalypse. Wanna come?" And the way Alex whispered the last word turned Piper's knees into jelly.
"Take me home." Was all that she managed to muster before being led by Alex to the door. Nobody even noticed them leaving.
